On The Bridge December 16, 2010
Gesher Jewish Day School 9 Tevet, 5771
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| Shabbat Shalom | |
שבת שלום
Candlelighting: 4:31pm
Vayechi
ויחי
Torah Portion: Genesis
47:28- 50:26
Haftarah: I Kings 2:1- 2:12
Yasher Koach to today's Torah readers: Natalie, Mr. Gensler, Miryam
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| Greetings! | |
My calendar says, "Winter Begins," on December 21. However, with the cold and now the snow that we are experiencing I'd say we are there already.
The following is lifted (largely) from the Bridge, our Directory.
Gesher no longer follows the Fairfax County Public School's determination for closings and late openings. This means that we will be making our own school closing and delayed opening determinations. All efforts will be made to make these decisions before 5:30 a.m. Announcements will be posted prominently on the Gesher website homepage, www.gesher-jds.org. In addition, we typically place school announcements on the following media outlets:
Television: NBC (Channel 4), Fox (Channel 5), ABC (Channel 7)
Radio: WTOP
For mornings when Gesher opens with a two-hour delay, we will provide a supervised drop-off for students beginning at 9:30 a.m.in the Chadar Ochel (cafeteria). Should there be a two-hour delay on a winter moring in which Gesher has a noon dismissal scheduled, we will not dismiss at noon as planned. We will extend the school day until either 2:30 pm on a Friday or until 3:30 pm on other days of the week.
Gesher's decisions on early closings due to inclement weather are also made independently. If the weather becomes inclement during the day, please check our website or your email for communications from us. If you have concerns about the weather and wish to pick your children up early, please email the school to inform us that you are on the way.
Safety is always priority one when it comes to operating our school program. Please bundle up and stay dry throughout the winter ahead!
Shabbat Shalom!
Zvi Schoenburg
Head of School
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| Upcoming Events |
See our full calendar of events!
December 17- PTO Family Kabbalat Shabbat, 1:45 pm,
featuring, Songs and Stories from the Jewish Tradition, All parents welcome!
December 20 - Board Meeting
December 22 - Shakespeare's A Twelfth Night, Kitah Hay
players
December 24-31 - Winter Vacation, School Closed
Office Hours: Dec. 27-30 8:30-3:30
January 3 - Back to School
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| School News |
Want to buy a DVD of this year's Chanukah musical, The Odd Potato? Click here to order!
Recess
We have worked hard this week to secure greater opportunities for outdoor play for our students, even in cold weather. Please be advised that, starting Monday, students will have their recess outside unless weather is inclement (raining, snowing, or dangerously cold). Students must be appropriately dressed for outdoor recess - a good jacket, gloves, a hat, and long pants. Students who are not properly attired will have to stay indoors. We are also adding an additional recess space in the merkaz where board and card games will be available for students who elect not to brave the elements and/or prefer not to be in the gym on inclement days when that space can be noisy and crowded. We are committed to safe and regular playtime for all of our students. Gesher Musicale!
Hey, parents, grandparents, family, teachers: do you sing or play an instrument? Are you a closet musician? Not any longer! Plan to join us on Wednesday, December 29th at 3pm for a "Gesher Musicale!" Bring your voice, dust off your clarinet, tune your violin! We will enjoy each other's company while making music together. There's a pianist in the house, so we have accompaniment. All levels welcome. Please RSVP to Debra Mendelson at dmendelson@gesher-jds.org. Let us know what instrument you play so that we can have appropriate music ready for everyone, and feel free to bring your own. We'll have light refreshments, too. Come on, it'll be fun! Promise!
Student ShowcaseEach quarter, we highlight the creative expression of our students on our website in our Student Showcase. A faculty committee selects nine pieces to highlight our talented student efforts in many areas including visual arts, creative writing and even scientific observation! On the left of our homepage, www.gesher-jds.org, go to the menu for Academics, and click on Showcase, to see which student poems, stories, and works of art will be on display! Or follow this link: www.gesher-jds.org/showcase.php. Yasher Koach (well done) to all our talented student writers and artists!
Winter MAP is coming!
Don't forget to sign up for winter MAP. It begins soon after we return from winter break. During recess this week we had demonstrations of several of the new classes that will be offered. Ask your child if they enjoyed participating. On Tuesday our new dance teacher, Ali Summers, came and got many of the girls movin' and groovin' to hip-hop. She will be offering Intro to Dance (K-3) on Thursdays and Jr Jazzercise (3-8) on Tuesdays. Fairfax Collegiate was also here with Lego robots that move by remote control. Children were leading them all over the Merkaz. The Robotics class will run for 90 minutes on Thursdays. Although the class is slated for children in grades 3-6, other children will be admitted if there is room. On Thursday we had a visit from Mad Science. They ran a very exciting class in Forensics last session, and this session the focus will be "A Guide to the Galaxies." The class is offered for K-3 on Tuesday. Last week there was a visit from House of Hoops who will be offering Basketball for all children on Mondays. There are many other exciting classes offered. Click here for the full brochure with dates, prices, and a good description of each class.
Pictures:
 | Kitah Chet students make olive oil with Rabbi Adler.
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 | Kitah Dalet students participate in a Chanukah program with Rabbi Aft.
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 | Kitah Vav students participate in a Chanukah program with Rabbi Holzman.
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 | | Gesher students of all ages enjoy pajama day! |
 | Kitah Gimel students do Jazzercise in their PJ's during pajama day.
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 | | Kitah Hay students enjoying pajama day. |
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| Development and Fundraising | |
Save the evening of March 27, 2011 for ALL THE MAGIC THAT IS GESHER!
Click here to see all our wonderful honorees!
Please help us find our 2010-11 Tikun Olam Alumni Winner! Nominations are being accepted now through DEC 31, 2010. Please submit two brief paragraphs describing the work and life of an alumni deserving of our annual Tikun Olam honor- we're looking for someone who is making the world a better place! Email your nominations to Rebekah Dickinson: rdickinson@gesher-jds.org. The winner will be announced the first week in January.
Giant Food Bonus Cards
Please register your Giant Food card. Giant cards need to be registered each fall. Gesher will earn cash from Giant Food every time you shop at Giant and use your card. This even includes Peapod purchases. So please register your card now. Our school number is 02238. See more grocery stores you can register with on Gesher's website.
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Gesher Green
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New Club Forming for Grades 2-5 Beginning in January, there will be a new science opportunity for your children. Students in grades 2-5 will be invited to join the Eco-Brigade science club. The club will meet on Thursday during their lunch and recess period. The focus of the group will be to work on sustainability. We will be working through an international program called Eco-Schools. The American sponsor of the program is the National Wildlife Federation (www.eco-schoolsusa.org). The program begins when we select a "pathway to sustainability." These path options include energy, water, consumption and waste, climate change, and others. Once we select our topic, we will perform an audit of the school's policies and usage. Then we develop a plan for improvement. Finally, we monitor and evaluate our progress. If we are successful in our efforts, we can apply for an Eco-Schools award. One of the requirements of this program is that it be student led. It will be an opportunity for the children to engage in active citizenship, build critical thinking skills, learn to be leaders, and do some real science and math within the environmental ethics. They will also learn important skills in conserving resources and reducing waste. Plus, it will be lots of fun! Click here to view the flyer, and please encourage your child to consider becoming part of the Eco-Brigade!
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| Admissions News |
Next Admissions Open House- Tell your friends!
Sun, Jan 9 from 10-11:30a (child care available in the Gesher gym for the Sunday Tour)
Refer a Friend Program
Help build enrollment for the 2011-2012 school year and save on next year's tuition through our Refer a Friend Program!
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| Head, Heart and Hand | |
Bar Mitzvah project
Sam R. will be supporting the Providence Center for Medically Fragile Children for his Bar Mitzvah project. The Center cares for infants and children with disabilities and complex medical needs. Delicious kosher dairy home-made chocolate chip cookies are being sold to raise money. Click here for more information.
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| PTO | |
Mishpachat Gesher (PTO) invites all families to welcome Shabbat with their children in Grades K-5.
Come to the Family Kabbalat Shabbat tomorrow for Grades K-5.
Enjoy an interactive show by Mark Novak and Renee Brachfeld: Song and Stories from the Jewish Tradtion
Date: Friday, December 17
Time: 1:45 pm
Location: Gesher Gottesman Performing Arts Center & Gymnasium
Gesherwear will be sold this Friday at pick-up. There is a variety of apparel including shirts, hoodies, pajama bottoms, shorts, caps, etc. No student's wardrobe is complete without Gesherwear. Wear Gesherwear to the Family Kabbalat Shabbat and show your school spirit!
Don't be left out in the cold. Come inside and jump your socks off. Mishpachat Gesher (PTO) invites students in Grades K-4 to bounce, climb and slide at Pump It Up - The Inflatable Party Zone in Manassas over winter break on Tuesday, December 28, 1:15 - 3:00 pm. Siblings welcome but must be at least 2 years old and 34" tall to play on the inflatables. Cost is $10 per child. Socks and a signed waiver required to play. A designated adult must be responsible for each child. Register and pay online now, or click "Pump It Up! Sign Up" under Quick Links on the Gesher homepage. Questions? Contact Amy Friedman at amyafriedman@gmail.com.
Keep the box tops coming. Gesher receives 10¢ for each submission, which totaled over $500 last year. Drop them off in the office or send them by Kiddie Mail.
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| Mitzvah Coupon Donations |
Mitzvah Coupon donations can now be made on-line through our secure website, www.gesher-jds.org. Simply log in and click on the Donate link at the top of our homepage.
In honor of Shoshana G.'s Bat Mitzvah
Gesher Faculty and Staff
Debra and Paul Mendelson
In honor of Jamie F. for donating his hair to charity
Beth Mallow-Frame and Michael Frame
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| Community Announcements |
Musical Soiree
You are cordially invited to an evening of music featuring young soloists who as winners of their state competitions will be competing in Music Teachers National Divisional Competitions in January 2011. The featured soloists include clarinetist James Moon and pianists Bryan Ho, Ryo Kaneko and Kimberly Ho. Please join us at Tyson's Corner on December 27th at 7:00 p.m.
Tyson's Steinway Gallery
December 27, 2010
7:00 p.m.
The concert will be held in the store between Radio Shack and Kenneth Cole. Enter through Macy's Level 1 and turn right. The stores are on your right. (The Steinway Piano Gallery at Tyson's Corner has recently relocated to a site adjacent to Lord and Taylor on the lower level. The concert is not being held in the showroom, but in their recently vacated former location.)
Music will include the Copland and Mozart Clarinet Concertos, Prokofiev Toccata, Op. 11, Schumann's Abegg Variations, Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #12, Scriabin Fantasy, Op. 28, Barber Piano Sonata.
American Hebrew Academy Honor Society
The American Hebrew Academy Honor Society is an international honor society for 8th and 9th gradeJewish students who have demonstrated excellence in the fields of academics, Jewish studies, athletics, the arts, and tikkun olam. Once accepted into the Society, members are invited to convene for a Leadership Shabbaton which takes place each year on the campus of the American Hebrew Academy, a pluralistic Jewish college prep boarding high school located in Greensboro, NC. Please note that students who are nominated and accepted in the Honor Society do not have to attend the American Hebrew Academy.
If members of the Honor Society are interested in attending the Academy, they may be awarded up to $20,000 a year towards the cost of tuition. You can learn more about the Honor Society and how to nominate incredible students by clicking here. The deadline for nominations is January 10, 2011.
Habonim Dror Camp Moshava
Habonim Dror Camp Moshava is a unique camping experience filled with leadership development, Jewish celebration, social justice and love of Israel. Close to home in beautiful Harford County, Maryland. For young people entering 3-10th grade. Questions? Call 800-454-2205, visit our website www.CampMosh.org, or email Tammy@campmosh.org.
Join Us for an Open House. Click here for more information!
Sunday, January 9, 2011, 4 p.m.
at the home of the Falk family
305 Adams Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22031
Wizards Jewish Heritage Night
Tuesday, January 11, 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center.
The Wizards will take on the Kings, featuring Israeli-born player Omri Casspi. Discount tickets available for the Jewish community! Sponsored by the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning, Gesher Jewish Day School, and 23 other local Jewish organizations. For event details, click here or visit www.pjll.org A group from Gesher is being organized by Rob Goldberg and David Goldstein. To purchase tickets, log on to www.washingtonwizards.com/JHN and use special offer code JHN. Questions? Contact Jordan Schwartz at 202-292-1974 or email jschwartz@monumentalsports.com
JCCNV during Gesher Vacation
Looking for something fun for the kids during school breaks? The JCCNV now offers Winter and Spring Camps for school-age children. All the excitement of a summer camp experience is now brought to you throughout the year! Our program, guided by Jewish values, is bursting with indoor and outdoor activities, swimming, cooking, arts and crafts, field trips and more!
Visit this link for more detailed information and the registration information. http://www.jccnv.org/documents/Base-Vacation-Day%28JCCNV%29.pdf Please contact Nori White, Director of School Age Services and Camp at noriw@jccnv.org or 703-537-3041 with any questions.
The Jewish Federation Wants to Help! If you are in need of financial
assistance at t his time, or if you know anyone in the community who
is in need, please do not hesitate to contact the Jewish Federation's Warm Line at 1-866-950-4AID.
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We welcome your inquiries. To schedule a tour, or for more information about admissions or making a donation to Gesher Jewish Day School, please contact us at (703)978-9789.
Sincerely,
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Gesher Jewish Day School
4800 Mattie Moore Court
Fairfax, VA 22030
phone: (703) 978-9789
fax: (703)978-2668
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Address or Email Changes
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